Decking is widely used for docks, patios and the like particularly in the home situation. The deck planks provide a simple construction and an effective supporting surface but generally are unsatisfactory in that the exposed wood is liable to deterioration due to the wetting and drying process and in that the surface exposed is unsatisfactory in that it can leave dangerous splinters and can be slippery when wet.
Many users therefore wish to cover the decking with a carpeting material or the like which is much more comfortable underfoot, which avoids the possibility of splinters and which can inhibit the deterioration of the wood due to weathering.
It is of course possible to lay simply a broad band of carpeting over the decking and over the gaps that are provided between the decking planks to allow the escape of water. This is generally unsatisfactory in that it then inhibits the escape of the water to reduce the drying effect and in addition the carpeting generates grooves or lines across the carpeting which is unattractive.
Attempts have been made therefore to generate strips of a floor covering material which can be simply applied to the decking planks with the strips having a width substantially equal to the decking planks so as to cover the upper surfaces of the decking planks and yet to leave the spaces between the decking planks for the escape of water.
One arrangement for covering deck planks is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,387 of Turnbull issued in 1990. Turnbull discloses what he calls a patio deck sheath. This comprises a channel member with a horizontal surface and two vertical depending sides which is placed over the decking plank to cover the upper surface and sides of the decking plank. The upper surface is molded with grooves which are stated to be generally 1/16 of an inch deep and are formed in a herringbone pattern to provide an anti-slip surface. It is stated that the grooves and ridges may be formed on the top surface after the channel member is extruded.
This is arrangement of Turnbull has not achieved any commercial success and it is believed that there are a number of major disadvantages which have led to the failure to obtain acceptance.
1. The covering of the sides of the plank requires as much material as is necessary to cover simply the upper surfaces of the plank and accordingly this additional material significantly increases the cost of the product.
2. The portions of the channel member covering the sides of the plank are generally of the order of 1/8" thick. Generally it is simply not possible to slide two 1/8" thick layers between decking planks as they are usually spaced 1/4" apart when installed. In addition decking planks are generally not straight so that there is warping after installation leading to a significant reduction in the spacing between the planks at localized points along the length of the planks. It is simply not possible, therefore, to apply the side coverings of the sheath into the area between the deck planks except in situations where the coverings are applied during the initial installation so that the deck planks can be spaced at greater distances.
3. As the planks, particularly on older decks, are often bent due to the warping effect, it is necessary for the channel member to also bend to follow the shape of the deck plank. This is simply not possible when using a channel shape which will prevent bending of the channel member about an axis at right angles to the upper surface.
4. The channel member would necessarily be supplied in predetermined lengths as it is not possible to roll the channel member. The predetermined lengths of course will not match the lengths of the deck planks and hence joins will be necessary leading to an unattractive appearance and the danger of lifting of the covering at the join.
5. The channel member is attached to the deck plank by a layer of adhesive applied onto the top of the deck plank to which the channel member is attached. It is very difficult to bond the rigid piece of plastic material as formed by the channel member using an adhesive to the deck plank particularly if the deck plank is warped providing a curvature and in addition since the deck plank often changes in dimension due to expansion and contraction caused by temperature changes.
The present inventor set forth some further proposals for a floor covering material for deck planks in his International Application W090/1 0112 published Sep. 7, 1990. This document discloses a layer of a fibrous floor covering material which is attached to the upper surface of the deck plank and covers only the upper surface of the deck plank. The attachment is effected by staples applied in rows adjacent side edges of the covering material. The staples are attached to the under surface of the fibrous material by adhesive bonding strips through which the legs of the staples project for engagement into the upper surface of the wood of the deck plank.
The above arrangement achieved some commercial success but eventually was abandoned due to a number of technical problems. In particular it was necessary to attach the material to the deck plank at positions adjacent the edges of the plank to ensure effective attachment in view of the instability of the material. This attachment tended to form bubbles underneath the material in response to differential expansion, improper application or any kinking of the covering layer. These bubbles tend to flap when stepped upon which is simply unacceptable to the user. In addition, the complex construction and high level of material usage provided a product which was too expensive to meet market requirements.
The product obtained a high level of satisfaction from the customer with regard to the desirability of covering the decking planks but unfortunately received a low level of satisfaction in regard to the attachment technique and cost. Unfortunately it has not been possible to develop a product which will remain attached to the upper surface of the decking plank and will accommodate change in expansion characteristics and warping or warped deck planks. Until now the technical difficulties of maintaining such an attachment have prevented the manufacture of a product which satisfactorily fulfills the high level of requirement for the covered deck plank.